Lip Service

So the other day, aquajubbly asked me if I had ever kissed a friend on the lips. I answered honestly and said I had.

aquajubbly: girls, I’m assumingaquajubbly: see, I think that’s kinda weirdnbassist: one guynbassist: but he was Europeanaquajubbly: I definitely can’t see you doing thataquajubbly: on the lips? Not talking about the cheek kindnbassist: I knownbassist: on the lipsaquajubbly: ewnbassist: you have issuesaquajubbly: you don’t strike me as the typeaquajubbly: no i don’t… kissing random men on the lips is odd… kissing random women on the lips is odd….

Now, I’m obviously an American. Americans don’t kiss each other on the lips outside of a relationship because we’re a bunch of puritanical bastards. We’re disgusted and repulsed by open sexuality because we’re afraid. Despite my desire not to be, I am. I think I’m more open than most others, but I’m sure there are plenty of foreigners who would disagree.

When I was in high school, I spent a summer in Israel and a weekend with a host family. The boy I was staying with kissed me on the lips when we said goodbye. It did weird me out, but I chalked it up to a cultural difference. It’s not as though he grabbed my head, held me close and tried to give me tongue. I honestly don’t see a problem with it. Even if my genophobic fears were true and he were gay, nothing came of it and it should be flattering.

Even in American society there are times when it’s appropriate to kiss other people on the lips: New Year’s Eve, Christmas (mistletoe anyone?), weddings, mafia contracts, acting jobs… I’m sure you could come up with at least a few more. Either way, I just don’t get the fear of it. Certainly, I’m not going to make-out with a random stranger, but kiss them? Why not.

So I’ll leave you with these questions: Have you kissed friends on the lips? Of the same sex? Did you feel dirty afterwards?